Philosophy of Sex and Love

Patricia Marino is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Waterloo in Canada, where, in addition to philosophy of sex and love, she works in ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of economics. She served as co-President of The Society for the Philosophy of Sex and Love from 2008 to 2018, and is the author of Moral Reasoning in a Pluralistic World (2015).

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1. Sex, relationships, and respect: the problem of objectification

Introduction

1. Sex as inherently objectifying: the view of Immanuel Kant

2. Feminist theories of objectification

3. Nussbaum on the varying aspects of objectification

4. Challenges for Nussbaum's theory

Conclusion

Chapter 2: Objectification, autonomy, and pornography

Introduction

1. Objectification and social autonomy

2. Social autonomy and adaptive preferences

3. A social perspective on pornography

4. The "pornutopia" and pornography's falsity

5. Beyond the heterosexual context

Chapter 3: Consent and rape law

Introduction

1. A short history of the law of consent

2. "'No' means no"

3. Communicative sexuality and non-verbal consent

4. The Antioch Policy and verbal consent

5. Affirmative consent, sexual autonomy, and the law

Conclusion

Chapter 4 Sex work: commodification and capitalism

Introduction

1. Sex work and the law

2. Sex work as a free contractual exchange
3. Sex work, commodification, and the specialness of sex

4. Commercialized sex in context

5. Sexual surrogacy
Conclusion

Chapter 5: Theories of love: the union view

Introduction

1. Why a theory of love?
2. The union theory and its difficulties
3. The relationship of self and "we"
4. The "we" as a merger of ends and desires

5. Love and irrationality
Conclusion

Chapter 6: Another theory of love: love as caring concern

Introduction

1. Love as caring concern
2. Disinterestedness and reciprocity
3. Love and autonomy in the union and concern theories

4. Love, autonomy, and deference

5. Love and rationality revisited: appraisal and bestowal

Conclusion

Chapter 7: Love, Fairness, and Equality

Introduction

1. Union theories and balancing
2. Concern theories and deliberation

3. Equality and fairness
4. Why a theory of love, revisited

Conclusion

Chapter 8: Orientations of sex and love

Introduction

1. Concepts, terminology, and history
2. The "born that way" and "not a choice" arguments: conceptual complexities

3. The "born that way" and "not a choice" arguments: ethical and political complexities

4. Orientations and values of sex and love

Conclusion

Chapter 9: Love and marriage

Introduction

1. The nature of marriage
2. Is marriage a promise?

3. Gender and the institution of marriage

4. Is marriage bad for love?
Conclusion

Chapter 10: Sex, love, and race

Introduction

1. Race in cultural context

2. Some Problems with racialized preferences

3. Further evaluation: causes and consequences of racialized preferences

4. Marriage and racial solidarity

Conclusion

Chapter 11: Sex, love, and disability

Introduction

1. Disability in context
2. Physical disabilities and sexual surrogacy

3. Surrogacy, intimacy, and love

4. Intellectual disabilities and complexities of consent

Conclusion

Chapter 12: The medicalization of sex and love

Introduction

1. Medicalization and the "Viagra narrative"
2. The social control of women's sexuality

3. Recent scientific study of women's sexuality

4. Non-concordance and the interpretation of desire

5. Lack of desire and eagerness versus enjoying

6. Medicalization of love?
Conclusion

Chapter 13: Economics of sex and love

Introduction

1. Economics and love: what is the problem?
2. Altruism and the possibility of "self-interested" love

3. Economics and sex
4. Sex, love, and economic methodology
Conclusion

Chapter 14. Ethical non-monogamy

Introduction

1. What is ethical non-monogamy?

2. The values of ethical non-monogamy

3. The "paradox of prevalence and changing the law

4. Challenges for ethical non-monogamy.

Conclusion

Conclusion

References